Fire boosting apparatus

ABSTRACT

A fire boosting apparatus for use with a fireplace grate is disclosed. The fire boosting apparatus comprises a hollow body having a first open end and a second closed end distal from the first open end. The hollow body also has a top portion opposite a bottom portion and an interior opposite an exterior. The fire boosting apparatus also comprises at least one air nozzle disposed in the top portion of the hollow body. The air nozzle is configured to direct oxidant from the interior to the exterior through the air nozzle to a fire zone of a fire built on the fireplace grate. The fire boosting apparatus also includes a receiver formed in the first open end that is configured to receive an output of a blower for providing the oxidant to the fire zone.

BACKGROUND

The present application relates to an apparatus for fanning a fire, andmore particularly to a one-piece apparatus that is used in conjunctionwith a conventional air blower to increase the oxidant flow to a fire.

Fires often die down because of insufficient hot coals beneath the woodor an insufficient chimney draft to sustain a fire. Additionally, a firecan die down because additional wood is not added to the fire at theright time, or, when additional wood is added, the new wood is difficultto ignite.

Prior art devices have been used to solve this problem by utilizing handbellows, blowpipes, and the like to manually revive the fire. However,these devices direct only a single stream of oxidant to the fire andhave a tendency to blow ash about the fire box and potentially into theroom.

Other prior art devices have included electric blowers, air jetsincorporated into fire grates and air jets incorporated into fireplaceheat exchangers to automatically revive a fire. U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,034to Wonisch and U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,173 to Thomson disclose electricblower designs that direct a single oxidant stream from the side of thefire. U.S. Pat. No. 3,269,383 to Massberg, U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,490 toLassy et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,147 to Van Grouw, and U.S. Pat. No.4,088,114 to Johnson, and disclose air jets incorporated into grates andfireplace heat exchangers. These designs rely on the fire to be built onthe grate (or heat exchanger) resulting in the flow of oxidant to bedirected at the fuel source (or wood).

What is needed in the art is an apparatus that can supply a high volumeof oxidant and direct the oxidant to the ignition source and fuel of afire without blowing smoke and ash throughout the room.

SUMMARY

The disclosure is directed toward a fire boosting apparatus for use witha fireplace grate. The fire boosting apparatus comprises a hollow bodyhaving a first open end and a second closed end distal from the firstopen end. The hollow body also has a top portion opposite a bottomportion and an interior opposite an exterior. The fire boostingapparatus also comprises at least one air nozzle disposed in the topportion of the hollow body. The air nozzle is configured to directoxidant from the interior to the exterior through the air nozzle to afire zone of a fire built on the fireplace grate. The fire boostingapparatus also includes a receiver formed in the first open end that isconfigured to receive an output of a blower for providing the oxidant tothe fire zone.

The present invention also includes the air nozzle being a slot and aseries of holes. The fire boosting apparatus can be disposed beneath thefireplace grate. The hollow body can have a serpentine tubular shape.The air nozzles are configured to direct the oxidant from the fireboosting apparatus to the fire zone at an angle of about 90° to about45°.

A method of using a fire boosting apparatus is also disclosed. Themethod comprises disposing the fire boosting apparatus beneath afireplace grate. The fire boosting apparatus includes a hollow bodyhaving a first open end and a second closed end distal from the firstopen end, a top portion opposite a bottom portion, and an interioropposite an exterior; at least one air nozzle disposed in the topportion of the hollow body; and a receiver formed in the first end. Themethod also includes disposing an output of a blower in the receiver andblowing oxidant into the fire boosting apparatus, such that the oxidantis directed from the interior to the exterior through the air nozzle toa fire zone of a fire built on the fireplace grate.

The present invention also includes the air nozzle being a slot and aseries of holes. The fire boosting apparatus can be disposed beneath thefireplace grate. The hollow body can have a serpentine tubular shape.The air nozzles are configured to direct the oxidant from the fireboosting apparatus to the fire zone at an angle of about 90° to about45°.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Referring now to the figures, wherein like elements are numbered alike:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the apparatusfor fanning a fire;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 as disposedunder a conventional fire grate; and

FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 2 including an illustration of ignitedfuel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Persons of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the followingdisclosure is illustrative only and not in any way limiting. Otherembodiments of the invention will readily suggest themselves to suchskilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure.

The present invention is a fire boosting apparatus that is asingle-piece, tubular, fire boosting apparatus that sits centrally belowa fireplace grate. When a fire needs boosting (or reviving or help inthe ignition process), the nozzle of a conventional air blower isinserted into a tapered receiver that forms the open end of the fireboosting apparatus, which projects upward and out in front of thefireplace grate. When the conventional air blower is switched on,multiple air nozzles in the fire boosting apparatus eject streams ofoxidant vertically from beneath the fire grate (and bed of coals) to thewood fuel. The fire boosting apparatus provides an ample supply ofoxidant to the fire and ignites more wood fuel, thereby increasing thefire's rate of combustion. This increased rate of combustion helps builda layer of hot coals and subsequently increases the chimney's draft, allof which contribute to a self-sustaining fire.

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary fire boosting apparatus 10 isillustrated. The fire boosting apparatus 10 includes a body 12 having afirst end 14 and a second end 16 distal from the first end 14. The body12 is a single hollow member having a top portion 18 and a bottomportion 20 opposite the top portion 18 and having an interior 22 and anexterior 24 opposite the interior 22. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the body12 is shaped as a partial “S” having a receiving portion 26 that isintegral with a first curve 28 that is a wide “U” shape followed by afirst straight portion 30, which connects with a second curve 32followed by a second straight portion 34 that ends at the second end 16.Although an overall “S” shape is illustrated, any shape is contemplatedincluding, but not limited to, a “Z” shape, a coil shape, a squared “S”shape, a straight shape, an angled shape, and the like. Any shape of thefire boosting apparatus 10 is contemplated as long as the air nozzles 42of the fire boosting apparatus 10 direct oxidant flow into the fire zone46 (See FIGS. 2 and 3 herein). It is also contemplated that an enclosedstructure can be utilized for the present invention, including arectangular box, a circular box, an oval box, and the like.

The bottom portion 20 of the first curve 28, first straight portion 30,second curve 32, second straight portion 34 and the second end 16 restupon the bottom 36 of the fireplace. The receiver portion 26 is angledup from the ground 36 at an angle of about 45° to about 90°. The firstend 14 is open to the atmosphere having a receiver 38 that is configuredto receive a conventional blower (or blowing device) (not shown). Thesecond end 16 is not open to the atmosphere, having been dead-ended by aconventional plug (or cap or closure) 40.

Disposed in the body 12 along the first straight portion 30 and thesecond straight portion 34 are air nozzles 42 that extend along the topportion 18 from the interior 22 to the exterior 24. The air nozzles 42can be a series of slots, holes, vias, slits, and the like. The airnozzles 42 are strategically placed along the first straight portion 30and the second straight portion 34 in order to direct oxidant to thecenter of the fire zone 46 (See FIG. 2).

In a preferred embodiment, the air nozzles 42 are disposed on the topportion 18 in order to inject oxidant vertically (or orthongonally),with respect to the fire grate, into the fire zone 46. It iscontemplated that the air nozzles 42 can be disposed in a position (notshown) on the top portion 18 in order to direct the flow of oxidant tothe fire zone 46 at an angle from the center of the top portion (i.e.,90°). The angles contemplated include air nozzles 42 disposed at anangle of about 90° to about 45°. In another preferred embodiment, theair nozzles 42 of second straight portion 34 have an angle of about 90°in order to direct oxidant flow vertically through the fire zone 46 andthe air nozzles 42 of first straight portion 30 can have an angle ofabout 70° in order to angle the oxidant flow to the fire zone 46.Several different angles of the air nozzles 42 can be combined in anembodiment, as long as the oxidant flow is directed toward the fire zone46. One skilled in the art can determine the angle of the air nozzles42, depending upon the size and shape of the fire boosting apparatus 10and the size and shape of the fire grate 44.

The fire boosting apparatus 10 is comprised of a material that canwithstand temperatures associated with a burning fire and hot coals, aswell as being sturdy enough to retain its structure in thosetemperatures. The preferred materials include iron, steel, ceramic,brass, copper, aluminum, tin, zinc, and the like, alloys andcombinations thereof.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a top view and a side view, respectively, of anexemplary fire boosting apparatus 10 disposed beneath a conventionalfire grate 44. When a fire is built using a conventional fire grate 44,an individual places a fuel (e.g., wood) 48 (or other combustiblematerial) on the fire grate 44 and ignites the wood 48 using paper,matches, or other means of ignition. The wood 48 burns and the hot coalsdrop through the fire grate 44 to the fire box ground 36. Essentially,the fire boosting apparatus 10 sits in the bed of coals (not shown)beneath the fire grate 44. The fire boosting apparatus 10 is positionedbeneath the fire grate 44 such that the air nozzles 42 direct oxidantflow into the fire zone 46.

When building a fire, or reviving a fire, utilizing the fire boostingapparatus 10, a supply of oxidant can be forced into the fire boostingapparatus 10 to facilitate the burning of the fuel. The supply ofoxidant can be from an air blower. Any device that can produce a flow ofoxidant that can be directed into the receiver 38 is contemplated. Apreferred air blower is a conventional air blower that is generally usedto inflate inflatable products (e.g., air mattresses). For safetyreasons, when using a conventional air blower the amount of time thatthe air blower should be operated (i.e., blowing oxidant into the fireboosting apparatus) should not exceed about 1 minute, with about 15seconds to about 30 seconds preferred.

The output of the air blower is disposed into the receiver 38 of thefire boosting apparatus 10. Oxidant is injected into the receiver 38 andtravels through the body 12 of the fire boosting apparatus 10, and exitsthrough the air nozzles 42. The oxidant is forced through the airnozzles 42 into the fire zone 46, which supplies oxygen to increase thecombustion of the fire, and results in the wood burning more intensely.In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the air nozzles 42are positioned such that the oxidant exiting the fire boosting apparatus10 travels vertically through the fire zone 46 and exits up the chimneyflue (not shown). Arrows 50 illustrate the flow of oxidant from the fireboosting apparatus 10 to the fire zone 46 and arrow 52 illustrates thevertical flow of oxidant, smoke and ash traveling up to the chimney flue(not shown).

In the preferred embodiment, the oxidant is directed vertically throughthe fire zone 46 in the direction of the chimney's draft. Using the fireboosting apparatus 10, a much stronger flow of oxidant can be injectedinto the fire without blowing smoke and ash into the room. The deviceinjects into the critical areas of the fire (e.g., the fire zone) usingthe multiple vertical oxidant streams, which increases combustion acrossa much larger area of the fuel.

The present invention apparatus injects multiple streams of oxidant intothe fire zone, which increases the rate of combustion by adding moreoxygen to the fire. This increased rate of combustion, creates hotcoals, promotes chimney draft and spreads the fire to more of the woodfuel, thereby helping to build or reestablish a self sustaining fire.

While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplaryembodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted forelements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. Inaddition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situationor material to the teachings without departing from the essential scopethereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited tothe particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated forcarrying out this invention.

1. A fire boosting apparatus for use with a fireplace grate comprising:a hollow body having a first open end and a second closed end distalfrom said first open end, said hollow body having a top portion oppositea bottom portion and an interior opposite an exterior; at least one airnozzle disposed in said top portion of said hollow body and configuredto direct oxidant from said interior to said exterior through said atleast one air nozzle to a fire zone of a fire built on the fireplacegrate; and a receiver formed in said first open end configured toreceive an output of a blower for providing said oxidant to said firezone.
 2. The fire boosting apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at leastone air nozzle is a slot.
 3. The fire boosting apparatus of claim 1,wherein said at least one air nozzle is a series of holes.
 4. The fireboosting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fire boosting apparatus isdisposed beneath said fireplace grate.
 5. The fire boosting apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein said hollow body has a serpentine tubular shape.
 6. Thefire boosting apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one air nozzleis configured to direct said oxidant from the fire boosting apparatus tosaid fire zone at an angle of about 90° to about 45°.
 7. A method ofusing a fire boosting apparatus comprising: disposing the fire boostingapparatus beneath a fireplace grate, the fire boosting apparatusincluding a hollow body having a first open end and a second closed enddistal from said first open end, a top portion opposite a bottomportion, and an interior opposite an exterior, at least one air nozzledisposed in said top portion of said hollow body, and a receiver formedin said first end; disposing an output of a blower in said receiver;blowing oxidant into the fire boosting apparatus, said oxidant flowsfrom said interior to said exterior through said at least one nozzle toa fire zone of a fire built on said fireplace grate.
 8. The method ofclaim 7, wherein said at least one air nozzle is a slot.
 9. The methodof claim 7, wherein said at least one air nozzle is a series of holes.10. The method of claim 7, wherein said hollow body has a serpentinetubular shape.
 11. The method of claim 7, wherein said at least one airnozzle is configured to direct said oxidant from the fire boostingapparatus to said fire zone at an angle of about 90° to about 45°.